Ian Bremmer: Advice for my 20-year-old self: Most things don't work — who cares! Most things I've tried haven't worked

Ian Bremmer grew up poor in the projects of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and later became president and founder of the multimillion-dollar political consulting firm Eurasia Group. His path to success, in other words, was hardly preordained.

Eurasia Group is the world's largest political-risk consultancy. It pioneered the "Group Global Political Risk Index" or GPRI, the first comprehensive political and economic risk index specifically used to track stability in emerging markets around the world. The firm's track record has made them a go-to resource for many of the world's top investors.

Bremmer stopped by Business Insider recently. Here, with candor and humor, he gives his advice to his 20-year-old self, discussing his mistakes and life lessons learned along the way.